Cushion construction



Feb. 16, 1954 c, HQVEN 2,669,291

CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed May. 18. 1950 c INVENTORS H o M153;- zzm -jgavx BY amaw affortzqy Patented Feb. 16, 1954 CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Alfred C. Hoven and Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 18, 1950, Serial No. 162,741

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to cushion construction and more particularly to the construction of cushions for chair seats, chair backs and the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a cushion of exceptional comfort; to provide such a cushion having a main inner spring surface for supporting the major part of the load and a resilient peripheral edge whereby added comfort is provided for a chair occupant and. whereby the cushion resumes its normal shape when unoccupied even after having been subjected to much wear; and to provide such a cushion which is simple in construction and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a theater chair provided with a seat cushion constructed according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the seat foundation and spring assemby for the seat cushion shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the seat cushion taken on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of certain parts thereof taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to this drawing wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the chair shown in Figure 1 is of the theater type and comprises spaced upright supporting standards I I] having a chair back ll fixedly mounted thereon and a chair seat [2 pivotally mounted thereon for movement about a horizontal axis to a lowered position for occupancy and to a raised position of non-use as shown.

While the invention is here shown embodied in only the chair seat, it will be understood that it is equally applicable to other forms of cushions such, for example, as the chair back ll shown in Figure 1.

The chair seat l2 as shown is mounted upon a rigid foundation which may be in the form of an open frame but as here shown comprises a formed sheet metal foundation pan l3 the outer peripheral edge I i of which is curled upwardly, then outwardly, then downwardly and finally inwardly to form a continuous peripheral channel [5 (see Figure 5) having a continuous open mouth l6 for the reception and retention of an upholstery covering as hereinafter more fully described.

Brackets l! are secured as by welding to the 2 opposite inner side edges of the foundation l3, each bracket having a plurality of spring-retaining hooks I8 to which are attached the ends of upwardly-bowed main spring elements [9 of sinuous form which span the seat foundation from side to side and provide the inner spring surface of the cushion.

A continuous resilient border wire 20 extends peripherally around the interior of the cushion at a higher level than the main spring elements 19, being mounted in such position within the cushion by means of three connecting spring elements 2| extending between the front portion of the border wire 20 and the forwardmost main spring element, and three connecting spring elements 22 extending between the rear portion of the border wire 20 and the rearwardmost main spring element. The connecting spring elements 2| and 22 are likewise sinuous in form and have their upper outer ends secured to the border wire 20 by means of clips 23 and their lower inner ends secured to the outermost main spring elements l9 by interlocking said inner ends with the nearest undulated portions of said main spring elements.

Padding 24 of cotton felt or the like is disposed over the main spring elements I 9, the connecting spring elements 2 I, 22 and the border wire 20. A sheet of burlap 25 is desirably interposed between the padding and the spring structure, and the edges of the burlap and padding are drawn well around the border Wire and preferably hog-ringed thereto.

An upholstery covering 26 is disposed over the upholstering materials, viz. the padding, burlap and spring assembly, said covering 26 having its peripheral edges drawn downwardly and being provided at its marginal periphery with a continuously hemmed-in elongated resilient element 21' which may be a cord, a plastic tube or rod, a helical wire spring, or any other resilient, compressible material. The marginal edge of the upholstery covering 26 with its sewed-in element 21 is forced into the retaining channel l5 of the foundation I3 through the mouth It. thereof, said mouth I B being smaller than the normal diameter of the element 21 plus the upholstery covering therearound so that the upholstery covering is securely held in place on the assembled seat cushion.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a novel seat cushion which by reason of its resilient peripheral edge is exceptionally comfortable; and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without depart ing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A cushion comprising, in combination, a foundation, a plurality of main sinuous spring elements spanning thefoundation from side to side, a resilient border wire extending peripherally around the interior of the cushion at a higher level than said main spring elements, a connecting sinuous spring element between the front portion of the border wire and the forwardmost main spring element, and another connecting sinuous spring element lbetween the rear portion of the Hoorder wire and the rearwardmost main spring element.

2. A cushion comprising, in combination, a foundation, a plurality of sinuous spring elements spanning the foundation from side to side, a resilient border wire extending peripherally around the interior of the cushion at'a higher level-than said spring elements, a connecting element extending forwardly-upwar(ilyfrom the forwardmost spring element for supporting the border wire at the front, and another connecting element extending rearwardly-upwardly from the rearwardmost' spring element "i or supporting the border wire in the rear.

3. A cushion comprising, in combination, a foundation, a plurality of. main-sinuous spring elements spanning the'foundation from side to side, a resilient border wire extending peripherally around the interior of the cushion at a References Cited: in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,578,413 Eyster Mar. 30, 1926 1,899,927, Ackerman Mar. 7, 1933 1,940,637 Stubnitz Dec. 19, 1933 2,234,253 Hopkes Mar. 11, 1941 2,241,473 Nordmark May 13, 19i1 2,356,417 Mayer Aug. 22, 19% 2,386,456 Habersturnp et al. Oct. 9', 1945 2,392,254 Mayer Jan. 1, 1946 2,437,119 Overb'y et a1; Mar. 2,1948 2,449,500. Nordmark Sept; 14,1948 2,462,539 Neely et al. Feb. 22, 19 19 2,551,800 Hopkes, Jr May 8, 1951 2,568,829 Scott et al Sept. 25, 1951 2,570,409 Van Hove Oct. 9, 1951 

